


Broken Crown

by Mihael_Strider



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Flowers, Friends to Lovers, King Shiro, Language of Flowers, M/M, Mentions of Other Voltron Paladins, Sheith Flower Exchange 2018, mage keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:57:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mihael_Strider/pseuds/Mihael_Strider
Summary: As his Right Hand and the most powerful Mage from Altea, Keith Kogane swore to protect his King, Takashi Shirogane.At all costsA Fantasy! AU Sheith.A gift for sylvermyth for the Sheith Flower Exchange





	Broken Crown

**Author's Note:**

> It took me a lot of time, but it's finally done. I'm really happy with this because it's been a long since I wrote something so long and it's my first time writing some fantasy, so it's not really perfect. Anyway, guess I was really inspired!
> 
> This is a gift for sylvermyth for the Sheith Flower Exchange. Thank you for having me everyone! I hope you enjoy this fic <3
> 
>  
> 
> Broken Crown- Mumford & Sons.  
> Beta: Lenore Pendragon (honey I owe you my life. As always)
> 
>  
> 
> _Jasmine, Indian - I attach myself to you_
> 
>  
> 
> _Wall-flower - Fidelity in adversity_
> 
>  
> 
> "But in this twilight, our choices seal our fate"

Keith let out a sigh as he dropped heavily into one of the benches of the huge garden, feeling suddenly tired even though it was barely midday. In the distance the magician heard the chirping of the birds that were just beginning to make their nests in the trees, the corners and the windows of the castle. His usually serious, anxious and concerned demeanor, was surprisingly soft and then turned completely calm when a familiar, warm hand rested on his shoulder.

"You don’t look so young anymore," he heard a voice behind his back, and although Keith could not see him, he was almost able to feel the self-sufficient smile on his lips.

"I just want to remind you that you are at least five years older," he answered with a sigh.

 

Shiro's laughter made him relax almost immediately.

 

“I forget that sometimes. Especially when you act like an old man.”

“You're terrible, you know that?”

 

Smiling, Shiro sat beside him quietly. Keith stared at him, paying careful attention to the tuft of white hair that fell on his face–a product of the fatigue and anxiety that came with governing a whole kingdom. Shiro was 25 years old and despite what he said, Keith thought he looked much older. He had ascended to the throne when he was only seventeen, right after his father’s death, and had since consecrated his entire life to maintain stability in the region and providing security for all the subjects of the kingdom. He had succeeded, of course: every citizen respected his king and sought to repay his efforts by maintaining a cordial and helpful atmosphere.  Sometimes, when Keith discovered Shiro asleep on his desk between papers and maps, he wondered if maybe Shiro was sacrificing too much.

 

Keith remembered perfectly the day Shiro had been, crowned because he himself had also been finally appointed as the new King's Counselor and Magician. When he remembered that moment, Keith could almost feel the cold of Shiro's sword on his shoulders again, and he could almost hear the whispers of some people who wondered if his young king was actually making the right decision with his magician of choice, but he had tried not to pay attention to the murmurs. After all, Keith had prepared from childhood to take his place next to the King and although over the next few years he had tried to prove in a thousand ways that he was worthy of occupying such a position, it sometimes felt that it was not enough. Especially when he saw Shiro give it all without saying a word.

 

“Keith…?”

 “Huh?”

 

Shiro's voice made him come back from his thoughts. He shook his head slightly and smiled, trying not to show that he was distracted.

 

“Yes?” Keith said.

“I was wondering, if you are hungry, maybe we could get lunch and then go for a ride. What do you think?”

 

Keith shook his head slightly before shrugging.

 

“I'm fine, honestly. If you want to, we can do that. Aren't you supposed to be finishing your stuff, though?”

"I deserve a day off," said the older man, sighing. “ Actually, we both deserve it.  What do you say?”

“If that's what you want. You’re the King.”

“And that has never been an issue between us,” Shiro replied, grimacing with disgust. “You _know_ that.”

“Sorry, I just… Forget it. All right, let's go. I would like to…”

“Your Highness!”

 

The voice made them both turn to the arches that served as entrance to Shiro's private garden. Keith immediately realized that it was something serious, since no one except himself was allowed to enter that place without the King's explicit permission.

 

“Hunk? What's going on?” Shiro asked, standing up immediately.

“I am very sorry to interrupt but... You must come and see this,” the Hunk replied.

 

They exchanged a quick look, and then followed Hunk to the castle's battlements, where a hundred archers stared at the distance with their weapons at the ready. At first, Keith did not understand what was happening but when the familiar call of a hunting horn followed by the horses' hull at the distance, everything became clear to him. He recognized the flag even before the army approached, and immediately knew that there were gonna be troubles.

 

“Shit…,” he heard one of the archers whispering. He looked at Hunk, pale beside Shiro, who only kept his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Hunk…”

“Yes, your Highness?”

“Call the Paladins immediately. I want you in the Council room in 15 minutes.”

“Understood.”

 

Keith looked at Hunk disappear downstairs and then looked back at the King.

 

“Shiro…”

“I'm sorry, Keith. That ride will have to wait.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting in his usual place next to the King, Keith listened to the report of the spies Pidge had sent to find out more about the Galra army but, as he expected, the news were no good. The army had stopped in a clearing near the walls of Altea and apparently the number of soldiers was bigger than they had predicted in the beginning. Spies had also been able to see the General, but Keith didn’t need to hear his description to know immediately who they were dealing with.

 

“I suggest an outpost by the South Gate” Lance said, in charge of the swordsmen. “We can make an ambush there. It's a good choice.”

“Matt and the archers are not going to be able to use that front, Lance.  They will not be able to help you,” Pidge explained, visibly tired.

“Then what do you suggest? If we use another door, they're probably going to guess our intentions.”

“Clearly the city is under siege. They have not moved and apparently have no intention of doing so. Perhaps his strategy is to stay in his camp until we surrender,” Hunk suggested, prudently.

“Hunk is right. We can't attack just like that. We need to see their movements, study what their weakness is. What do you think, your Highness?” Pidge asked.

“We can't attack. In fact... we can't start a war. We're not going to fight.”

 

Three pairs of surprised eyes turned to Keith as he spoke. Shiro stayed in his place, studying the map of Altea he had on the table, although he didn't really need it. He knew the place perfectly.

 

“Are you crazy? And what should we do, wait for them to attack first and rip us?" Lance claimed.

“Don't be an idiot, Lance. You heard Hunk. We don't know what their intentions are and we can't attack without a reason. What they want is to provoke us to get out of the city and attack as soon as we aren’t here. Also…” he added, trying not to look at Shiro. “We still haven’t recovered from the last war. It would be crazy to start another no. We don’t have the resources.”

 

The King tried to hide his right hand, which had once been normal and human. During their last war, Shiro had lost it as a result of the battle, and although Keith and Pidge had contrived to create a prosthesis (made by her, infused in his magic), the older still felt quite uncomfortable when the issue was mentioned.

 

“And what do you want to do then? Come to an agreement with them?”

“You don't even know why they're here!”

“Well, I don't think it's just to say hello!”

“ _Enough_.”

 

Shiro's voice resonated in the room, surprising them all. For a moment Keith could read the anxiety and dread in his expression, but it was soon replaced by security.

 

“I'll go. If there's anyone who should talk to the Galra general, it's me.”

“Shiro, Lotor is not just a general. He's the crown prince of the Galra. His father is Zarkon the Destroyer. I... they…” Keith said, trying not to sound too sentimental. “They are not an easy target. You shouldn’t underestimate them.”

“And that's exactly why I should be the one going. I have to make sure of their intentions.”

"All right," the magician sighed. "I will go with you to negotiate.”

“No. Stay here. I need someone to be available to command the army if they want to attack as soon as I get out. Lance, you're coming with me. Pidge, send messengers to Princess Allura. We might need reinforcements. Hunk, find Matt and gather the first squares in the castle courtyard. I want you all ready for any circumstance. Understood?”

 

The consensus was general and in less than three minutes almost everyone had left the council room. Shiro and Keith remained in their places, completely silent.

 

"I know they've hurt you, Keith." The older man whispered without even looking at him. “I remember the day Kolivan brought you here. And I know perfectly well what the Galra did to Krolia, but I won't let that happen again. They're not going to take anything away from you. Not if I can stop them.”

 

Keith didn't answer. In his mind, the images of the night in which his mother, a deserter of the Empire, had been found by the army, were still fresh in his memory. He remembered the desperate way she handed him over to his father, the right hand of the King of Altea, and the way he had assured her that they would not leave without her. He remembered obeying his father and hiding in a small cupboard and he remembered hearing the noises of the fight. He also thought of Kolivan, the man his mother trusted the most after his father and who took him out of hiding after the echoes of his parent’s screams were gone. He never heard from them again.

 

That was exactly why Keith had joined the sword of Marmora, the largest guild of Galra deserters, to learn to use their magical abilities. He had agreed to follow his father’s footsteps and become the right hand of Takashi Shirogane, heir to the throne, and so that maybe he would be able to avenge his parents and beat the Galra one day. But now that he had them at his disposal, Keith wondered if he would really be able to risk Shiro in order to do so. _No, of course not._

 

"It may not be the best option, but it's all we have," the King continued. "I promise I'll be fine."

"Okay. Just... Be careful. Lotor is especially dangerous.”

"You told me so," Shiro said, smiling. He rose from his seat and walked toward the door. “I'll be back with good news.”

 

Keith wanted to believe him. He really did. But when Shiro and Lance came back  that night  with overshadowed expressions, Keith's soul almost fell to his feet.

 

“There was no negotiation. We're going to fight.”

* * *

 

 

If Keith thought about it, he could understand why the Galra were so interested in Altea. It was perhaps the kingdom with the greatest wealth and territory throughout the continent, so it was really a matter of time before they came to try to overthrow them. Their modus operandi was basically the same: they attacked during the night, destroyed the town and took the castle and the King’s life. However, Keith knew that Lotor was a different kind of Galra. He had heard rumors that he first tried to persuade the kingdoms to voluntarily join him and become part of the empire, and that he threatened with utter destruction if they refused him. Some had surrendered at his will, frightened by the weight of the pressure he exerted, but others had refused. They had not lived to tell the tale.

 

 _But those had been small kingdoms,_ Keith thought while riding among the ranks of the army to corroborate that everything was in order. Although they were still in red numbers, Altea was unbelievably larger than all the territories the Galra had taken. The enemy army still had more soldiers than them, though. The anxiety was killing Keith from the inside, but if he was having a bad time it was obvious that Shiro was feeling worse even if he didn't show it. Dressed in his armor and his white cloak, the king was walking around giving orders and instructions. Their idea was to establish the camp outside of Altea and to keep the fight as far as possible from the city, while a part of the army stayed inside to protect it in case of a possible invasion. As usual, the paladins were going to be with their king, but Pidge's brother Matt would lead the internal army. In case of needing reinforcements, a messenger had already warned the Princess Allura. The plan was solid and everyone knew their place. The only thing remaining was to execute it.

 

“Are you nervous?” Shiro asked as he sheathed his sword and grabbed the reins of his black horse. Keith merely shook his head.

“I knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of time”

“I'd like to tell you it's the last war we're going to fight, but we both know it's not. Besides, what would life be without a little excitement?”

 

They both laughed for a few seconds before settling down in front of the city's heavy iron gates. Around him, the army of Altea remained standing, perfectly aligned and ready to go. Soon, the four remaining paladins also occupied their places, wearing the color of their faction. They were only waiting for him to guide them into battle.

 

“Keith.”

“Yes?”

“Are you with me?”

 

The slight hesitation in the King's voice made him stare back at him. For a second their eyes met and Keith felt himself blushing. He smiled.

 

“I swore my devotion to you years ago. I'm not going to abandon you now. Or ever.”

 

Shiro's fond smile reminded him of days filled with sunshine, of sweeter times where it was only them, only _Keith_ and _Shiro_ , and not the role they now had to play.

           

“When this is all over, there's something I want to ask you. Will you wait?”

“I will wait.”

 

The king's expression turned serious as he took a last look at his soldiers. In the distance the cheers of the citizens encouraging their own people were loud. Keith wondered how many of them would come back.

 

“Open the gates!”

 

The army advanced.

 

* * *

 

 

From his position, Keith was able to look at the entire battlefield. The Galra had been much worse than they had predicted, but somehow they had managed to survive the siege and the constant fights. However, the price had been quite high. The fallen soldiers increased considerably and the resources were lower every day. Keith didn't think they had much time left before either the army or the city fell.

 

He listened to the soldiers’ screams as he fought, using his spells to protect his allies and attack all possible enemies. He felt his body getting tired and heavy because of the effort that was generating so much magic without the proper resting time he was supposed to get, but it was an exceptional circumstance and Keith was spending all his resources on it.

 

“Keith!”

 

Lance's sudden scream made him look at him for a second before casting a spell on another Galra soldier that was getting too close to him. He nodded slightly and directed his attention to the next.

 

“Not now, Lance!”

“Look over there!”

 

The magician did as he was told and looked at the place Lance was pointing at, staring to a majestic figure he recognized immediately. Dressed in his purple armor, Lotor was making his way through the cavalry to approach Shiro, who was fighting not very far from there.

 

“Shiro! Shiro!”

 

They both ran to him as fast as they could, avoiding the enemy attacks as much as they could. Keith could not help shouting his name, desperate to make himself heard over all the noise to warn his King. He felt his heart stuck in his throat. A gasp escaped from his lips when Lotor raised his sword, pointing straight at Shiro’s back.

 

“ _Takashi_!”

 

Shiro stopped for a second and turned, but it was too late. The Lotor’s sword struck him andmade him fall. Shiro’s pained scream made Keith shiver. He fell on his knees next to Shiro, holding him in his arms and immediately feeling the blood of his King soaking his clothes.

 

“Lance, retreat!” Keith screamed, using a spell to stop Shiro’s bleeding. A second later he could hear the sound of the horn and the jogging of thousands of steps obeying the order.

When he looked up he could see the triumphant smile on Lotor’s lips. He felt his body moving, and with the little energy he had left he cast a spell against him, but it wasn’t fast enough. Lotor dodged it easily while laughing with sufficiency.

 

“First warning.”

 

Keith had never wanted to kill someone that much.

 

* * *

 

 

“How is he?”

“He’s okay. He’s just sleeping,” Hunk answered as he left Shiro's tent. “Honestly, if you hadn’t been there…” 

“I know.”

 

The silence around them was dense. The whole camp felt the grief of having his king wounded and Keith knew that the morale was very low. He sighed deeply. _And now what?_ he thought.

 

“Keith, I don't need to tell you this, right?" The Paladin asked. Keith shook his head.

“We do not know if Allura received the message and even if she did she is still too far from us. It would take them about two more weeks to get here, and we can't keep fighting. It would be crazy,” Hunk continued, biting his lips slightly. “The provisions are running out and we are the only thing between the Galra and the city. If we fall…”

"Hunk, stop," the other sighed. “I know. We're not going to win.”

“But we can't give up, either. He would not accept it”  Hunk said, referring to Shiro. “And without him, you are the only one who can lead this army.”

 

Hunk was right. Without Shiro, the only one in command was himself. However, he knew he could not make hasty decisions. His options were scarce, but it was very clear that he did not want to see Shiro hurt again…

 

An idea suddenly crossed his head. It was so clear and concise that he wondered why he had not thought of it before. It could work. It was definitely going to work.

 

He looked at Shiro one last time before taking his cloak and putting it on. Hunk stared at him.

 

“Keith?”

“Take care of him until I come back, okay? I promise that I’ll be back soon,” he said, trying to hide the trembling in his voice.

"Okay,” Hunk conceded.

“Thanks.”

 

Keith hurried, looking for his horse. Red came fast and he took the reins, sighing deeply as he begged to not be too late.

 

* * *

 

Thankfully, everyone in the camp was already sleeping when he returned. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he left Red inside the makeshift stable, sighing relieved. He then tried to sneak inside Shiro's tent without waking him up.

 

“Keith…”

 

Shiro's voice made him freeze. He snapped his fingers to light a small flame between them and turned to see him, sitting on his bed.  He still looked pale, probably due to blood loss.

 

“What are you doing awake? Lie down, your wound...”

“I'm fine, just... Disoriented.”

 

Carefully, Keith reached a lamp and used the flame to ignite it. The shadows danced on the makeshift walls of the tent as he approached the King and sat beside him.

 

"Lie down,” the magician insisted, trying to smile. "Do not push yourself too hard. I just came to see how you were doing. I'm sorry I woke you up,” he explained, slowly starting to stand up, but Shiro's hand was closed on his wrist.

“And what about you? You're pushing yourself too hard," he whispered.

“It's my job, Shiro. Don’t... Don't worry about me,” Keith answered softly. “Now try to go back to sleep. Does it hurt?”

 

Shiro shook his head.

 

“Stay.”

 

Keith couldn't refuse.

He sat down again by his side, and he passed a hand through Shiro’s tousled hair. A sigh escaped his lips and although he tried to disguise it, the King noticed.

 

“You should rest.”

“I'm not the one who is hurt,” Keith said, trying to sound as casual as possible, but stopped when he noticed how Shiro's expression became sad. “I’m sorry, I didn’t… Forget it. I'm fine, you know? Just think about recovering. You'll be able to get up again soon.”

 

Shiro's sigh made him shudder. Keith continued immediately.

 

  
“Everyone in the camp is waiting for you. We've already taken care of everything, so don't worry. Pidge's soldiers are guarding the perimeter and Lance's troops have already repaired the damaged equipment.  Hunk’s people dealt with all the wounded, so you don't have to worry. We're... We'll be fine, okay?”

“Keith…”

“Yes?”

“There is... something I want to talk to you about.”

"I am here for you," Keith answered, trying to smile. “Do you need anything? You want me to plan a counterattack, an offense? I'm…”

“Keith, please. I…” Shiro sighed, “It’s none of that. I just... Listen, if I don’t survive this…”

"Shiro, don't say that," the magician said immediately, biting his lips. "You'll be fine. We’ll be back at the castle soon and then we can go horseback riding. Everything's going to be all right, I swear…”

“Listen,” Shiro's voice was so soft that Keith thought he was about to fall asleep, but when he felt the king’s hand searching for his he realized that he was completely serious, so he remained silent to let him speak. ”I do not know if we are gonna survive. I... Maybe I should have listened to you and  avoided war, but you know that the kingdom has always been my priority. You–more than anyone, you understand this and... And the truth is, I can't let anything happen to it. Everyone depends on me. On _us_. But right now I don't know if I'm going to survive, so... I want you to please finish this in my name, okay? I know that the other paladins will be with you until the end.”

“Shiro…”

“No, wait. I haven't finished. I don’t think I could have gone this far without you. The day you came into my life was the best of all. Keith... You don’t know... You don't have the faintest idea of how much I owe you. And if I'm going to die here, if this is the end and there's no more for me... I want you to know I love you.”

 

Shiro's words resonated in his head. For a moment he thought it was a dream, that he was already asleep in his tent and that everything was something his imagination and so many years of waiting had created in his mind. But Shiro's hand gently squeezing his felt as real as the tears that now fell on his face. Keith was so touched that he wasn't even able to answer.

 

“I don't know if I deserve to be loved back. I don't even expect to survive this. But if we do... I’d love to marry you, to reign together as we have done until now, but giving you the place you deserve. Not as my counselor. Not as my vassal... As my consort.”

 

Keith flung himself into his arms without hesitation, hugging him as he tried not to cry while the king caressed his back calmly. When Keith was able to talk again, he whispered in a faltering voice.

 

“Was this what you wanted to ask me....?”

 

Shiro nodded.

 

Keith tried to wipe his tears with the back of his sleeve. He felt his heart beating faster on his chest, but he was not going to waste the opportunity he had been waiting for years. He leaned carefully on Shiro’s chest until he felt his warm breath hitting his face. He did not even realize who made the first move, but when he finally noticed his lips were touching Shiro’s in a slow and deep kiss that both had always wanted. His hands sweetly caressed the face of his king while he felt Shiro’s hand entangled in his hair, looking for more contact. Even when they broke the kiss they stayed closer, Keith’s forehead on Shiro’s.

 

"All this time I have only seen you," he whispered gently. “I refused to leave you because I love you too, Shiro. From the day I arrived here I tried to convince myself that just being by your side was enough, and I tried to deny what I felt, I tried to hide it, but I can’t... Not anymore... I love you, Shiro, I love you…”

 

The King kissed him again deeply without saying a word. Carefully, Keith pushed Shiro back on his bed, but when he felt his arms pulling him down too he stopped.

 

“Wait... there's something I want to give you.”

 

Keith grabbed Shiro's left hand before his attentive gaze and sighed deeply, whispering some words that the King was not able to understand. He passed his hand on the inside of his own wrist and then over Shiro’s, leaving a permanent mark on both.

 

“A tattoo? " Shiro asked, looking at his hands.

"It is... a seal," replied Keith, blushing slightly. “According to the tradition of the Guild of Magicians, when one of us decides to dedicate his life to someone, we mark them with a protection seal. It’s unique, so that means only you and I have this mark, and... If anything happens, the seal will protect you.”

 

Shiro admired the seal and smiled before kissing Keith again, stroking his face carefully.

 

“Is this how you magicians show what you feel?”

“More or less. Magicians… We can only create this seal once in a lifetime. In theory, it is an eternal bond,” he explained with difficulty.

 

Shiro's arms wrapped again around his body, pulling him closer. His warmth made Keith smile. It was not the first time they had done that, but this time it felt different. More intimate.

 

“We... I swear we'll come back together and reign together. I will never leave you,” Shiro whispered, kissing his ear and licking the earlobe. Keith shuddered.

“Your wound…”

"I'll be all right," Shiro said, his hand rubbing Keith’s crotch slowly. “We're going to be fine.”

 

Keith knew it was a lie. But he decided to fool himself just for a while when he let Shiro lift his robe and reach under it with his hand to caress his skin.

 

* * *

 

The cold dawn hit his face as he rode among the leafy trees of the forest. Dew had fallen and the drops were clustering on the plants, giving the forest an unusual but pleasant greenness. He adjusted his cloak to stay dry in the mist and sighed, trying to hold back the tears. When he reached the rendezvous point, Lotor was already there riding his black horse, all adorned with purple ornaments. The smile he had on his lips made Keith want to kill him.

 

“I did not think you were really going to accept my deal.”

“I'm a man of my word, Lotor. And I hope you are too," Keith said, trying to sound more convinced than he really was.

“I am. My troops are packing up the camp and they will leave as soon as the fog dissipates. You don’t have to worry,” he replied with a smile.

“You…”

 

Lotor laughed. His voice spread across the clearing in an echo that almost seemed malevolent.

 

"You must have very good reasons to offer yourself, Keith Kogane, last of your lineage and Master of the Blade of Marmora, the most powerful magician of all the Unified Kingdoms, as a sacrifice instead of a whole kingdom.”

“I am not going to discuss my reasons with someone like you,” Keith spit.

“Of course, of course. You're right. I don’t need to know why,” the Prince shrugged, smiling. “But I think there’s a certain King involved…”

 "Enough. Just do your part. I... I will to obey you from now on,” Keith whispered, looking down. “I'm at your service.”

 

The look that Lotor gave him made him shiver. For a second, he felt like prey about to be killed.

 

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear”

 

_I'm so sorry, Shiro..._

 

* * *

 

 

The sound of metal and thousands of steps woke Shiro up. Confused, he sat up in his bed, feeling suddenly tired and disoriented. His head was spinning and for a moment he wondered where he was, until he slowly remembered the war. They were still in the battlefield.

 

He got up slowly, still feeling sore because of the wound that Lotor had caused on his back. For some reason it had diminished considerably compared to the previous day, but he still had to be careful. He was getting dressed when Lance suddenly interrupted him, breathing hard.

 

"Shiro... I mean, your Highness, you have to see this."

Helped by the Paladin, Shiro left the tent and stared at the distance with the telescope that Hunk, waiting outside, gave him. The enemy was leaving, marching back to their kingdom. And if Shiro was confused, his Paladins were perhaps more upset than he was.

 

“When did this start?”

"About an hour ago," Pidge said, still staring at the horizon. "They set up camp and started to leave. All of them. I sent some spies, of course, and they all confirmed the same thing. It's ... It's as if something had convinced them to leave. As if they had suddenly changed their minds, just like that.”

"Which makes absolutely no sense," Lance replied. Shiro sighed.

“We’ll wait until they are gone. Then we can see if they really did it or if they are just playing with us. For now, let's stay here.”

“All right, your Highness.”

 

The four of them stayed in the same place, watching until the dust left by the horses' hooves remained. However, Hunk soon spotted a Galra messenger heading towards them. Everyone held their weapons immediately, but Shiro made them lower them.

 

"General and Prince Lotor send you this note," the messenger explained.

“You may leave.”

 

As soon as the soldier left, Shiro broke the wax seal after verifying that it was indeed Lotor's, and slowly read the note.

 

“What does it say, Shiro?”

 "I already have my reward’," Pidge read out loud. “What the hell does this mean? Did you offer something, Shiro? Shiro...?”

 

For a moment, Shiro did not react. His body began to feel heavy and suddenly he felt extremely sad, as if he had lost something important. He wanted to cry, but he did not know why. He had the feeling of having forgotten something, of not being able to remember something extremely important, but he was not sure what. He felt that there was something missing. That he was missing something.

 

“Don’t... Don’t you feel like we are forgetting something?”  He asked in a whisper, looking at the paladins. Everyone shook their heads.

“It's everything complete, Shiro. What do you mean?" Hunk answered slowly, raising an eyebrow. “Do you feel okay?”

“It's just ... I…”

“Hey, calm down,” Lance answered, holding his arm when he noticed that Shiro was beginning to wobble. “You are still weak. You need to rest a little more, okay?”

“Sure... Just... I think that there is something that we are... that I am forgetting,” he said in a low voice, holding onto Lance. “I feel that I lost something, that something is wrong…”

“Shiro, calm down. Lance is right. Let us take care of everything, okay? You are still weak,” Hunk said, grabbing his other arm and helping him back to the tent again.

“Hey, Shiro, now that I think about it, I didn’t know you had a tattoo on your wrist. When did you get it?”

 

The king looked at his wrist, completely confused. The mark of a jasmine flower intertwined with Wallflowers appeared clearly on his skin, as if it had been recently made. It did not look like a tattoo or anything like that. It was as if it had always been there.

 

“I... I can’t remember.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Epilogue**

 

The day had been bad enough, to be honest. It had snowed all afternoon and the cold was terrible. At that time the coffee shop used to be completely empty, but the promise of a hot drink had attracted practically the whole campus and now he had to endure the giggles of the girls looking in his direction and the guys’ stupid soccer talk.

 

Frustrated, he left his book on the table and took a sip of his drink, trying to calm down. The end of the semester and the exams threatened to end him. In fact, he did not remember when was the last time he had slept more than a couple of hours or what he had eaten –if he had eaten anything at all. He was more interested on studying for his exam, but with the noise it was almost impossible to do so.

 

He gave up after a few more attempts. He began to pack up his things slowly and took another sip of his coffee. He was thinking on going back to the library to study, when he felt his table wobble slightly under the weight of something or someone. When he tried to complain, the hot liquid that still remained in his cup fell on his hand, making him moan slightly in pain.

 

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn’t notice, I was distracted and... Damn, let me help you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m just…”

 

Keith murmured his answer almost immediately, but he stopped when he saw the boy in front of him. He was a nice guy with well-defined muscles hidden under a gray sweater that was just as grey as his eyes. He was at least ten centimeters taller than him and obviously was the sportsman type, because his back was wide. A scar that ran along his nose gave him a certain air of familiarity that Keith could not identify. He was handsome, maybe too much, especially with the lock of white hair that fell over his forehead, longer than the military cut he wore.

 

“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you? God, I'm so clumsy. I'm sorry,” The guy said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket without releasing his wrist to help him.

“Don’t worry, really. I’m okay.”

“I insist. I just…” The guy said, stopping suddenly when he saw something that caught his attention. “Excuse me... That tattoo on your wrist... Where did you get it?”

 

Keith looked at him and checked the mark on his skin, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“It's nothing spectacular. No one made it. I was born with it so... I'm sorry if that wasn’t helpful.”

“No, it’s not that…”

 

The guy pulled his sleeve up slightly to show Keith his own arm, where there was an identical copy of Keith’s mark. They looked at each other, surprised. No one said a word.

 

“What is your name?”

“Keith. Keith Kogane. Yours?”

“Takashi Shirogane. I... Keith, can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

 

Keith smiled.

 

“I would like that.”

 

 

 


End file.
